the heritage of the sioux-第10节

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was　pondering　deeply　the　problem　of　Bill　Holmes'　business　with　Ramon；　and　she

was　half　tempted　to　tell　Wagalexa　Conka　of　that　secret　intimacy　which　must

carry　on　its　converse　under　cover　of　night。　She　did　not　trust　Bill　Holmes。　Why

must　he　keep　Ramon　posted？　She　glanced　ahead　to　where　Luck　stood　thinking

deeply　about　something；　and　her　eyes　softened　in　a　shy　sympathy　with　his

trouble。　Wagalexa　Conka　worked　hard　and　thought　much　and　worried　more　than　was

good　for　him。　Bill　Holmes；　she　decided　fiercely；　should　not　add　to　those

worries。　She　would　warn　Ramon　when　next　she　talked　with　him。　She　would　tell

Ramon　that　he　must　not　be　friends　with　Bill　Holmes；　in　the　meantime；　she　would

watch。



Ten　feet　from　Luck　she　stopped　short；　sensing　trouble　in　the　hardness　that　was

in　his　eyes。　She　stood　there　and　waited　in　meek　subjection。



〃Annie；　come　here！〃　Luck's　voice　was　no　less　stern　because　it　was　lowered　so

that　a　couple　of　the　boys　fussing　with　the　horses　inside　the　rope　corral　could

not　overhear　what　he　had　to　say。



Annie…Many…Ponies；　pulling　one　of　the　shiny　black　braids　into　the　correct

position　over　her　shoulder　and　breast；　stepped　soft…footedly　up　to　him　and

stopped。　She　did　not　ask　him　what　he　wanted。　She　waited　until　it　was　his

pleasure　to　speak。



〃Annie；　I　want　you　to　keep　away　from　Bill　Holmes。〃　Luck　was　not　one　to　mince

his　words　when　he　had　occasion　to　speak　of　disagreeable　things。　〃It　isn't

right　for　you　to　let　him　make　love　to　you　on　the　sly。　You　know　that。　You　know

you　must　not　leave　camp　with　him　after　dark。　You　make　me　ashamed　of　you　when

you　do　those　things。　You　keep　away　from　Bill　Holmes　and　stay　in　camp　nights。

If　you're　a　bad　girl；　I'll　have　to　send　you　back　to　the　reservationand　I'll

have　to　tell　the　agent　and　Chief　Big　Turkey　why　I　send　you　back。　I　can't　have

anybody　in　my　company　who　doesn't　act　right。　Now　rememberdon't　make　me　speak

to　you　again　about　it。〃



Annie…Many…Ponies　stood　there；　and　the　veiled；　look　was　in　her　eyes。　Her　face

was　a　smooth；　brown　maskbeautiful　to　look　upon　but　as　expressionless　as　the

dead。　She　did　not　protest　her　innocence；　she　did　not　explain　that　she　hated

and　distrusted　Bill　Holmes　and　that　she　had；　months　ago；　repelled　his

surreptitious　advances。　Luck　would　have　believed；　for　he　had　known

Annie…Many…Ponies　since　she　was　a　barefooted　papoose；　and　he　had　never　known

her　to　tell　him　an　untruth。



〃You　go　now　and　get　ready　for　work。　Wear　the　moccasins　with　the　birds　on　the

toes。〃　He　pointed　to　them　and　turned　away。



Annie…Many…Ponies　also　turned　and　went　her　way　and　said　nothing。　What；　indeed；

could　she　say？　She　did　not　doubt　that　Luck　had　seen　her　the　night　before；　and

had　seen　also　Bill　Holmes　when　he　left　camp　or　returnedperhaps　both。　She

could　not　tell　him　that　Bill　Holmes　had　gone　out　to　meet　Ramon；　for　that；　she

felt　instinctively；　was　a　secret　which　Ramon　trusted　her　not　to　betray。　She

could　not　tell　Wagalexa　Conka；　either；　that　she　met　Ramon　often　when　the　camp

was　asleep。　He　would　think　that　as　bad　as　meeting　Bill　Holmes。　She　knew　that

he　did　not　like　Ramon；　but　merely　used　him　and　his　men　and　horses　and　cattle

for　a　price；　to　better　his　pictures。　Save　in　a　purely　business　way　she　had

never　seen　him　talking　with　Ramon。　Never　as　he　talked　with　the　boys　of　the

Flying　Uhis　Happy　Family；　he　called　them。



She　said　nothing。　She　dressed　for　the　part　she　was　to　play。　She　twined　flowers

in　her　hair　and　smoothed　out　the　red　bows　and　laid　them　carefully　awaysince

Wagalexa　Conka　did　not　wish　her　to　wear　ribbon　bows　in　this　picture。　She

murmured　caresses　to　Shunka　Chistala；　the　little　black　dog　that　was　always　at

her　heels。　She　rode　with　the　company　to　the　rocky　gorge　which　was　〃location〃

for　today。　When　Wagalexa　Conka　called　to　her　she　went　and　climbed　upon　a　high

rock　and　stood　just　where　he　told　her　to　stand；　and　looked　just　as　he　told　her

to　look；　and　stole　away　through　the　rocks　and　out　of　the　scene　exactly　as　he

wished　her　to　do。



But　when　Wagalexa　Conkasorry　for　the；　harshness　he　had　felt　it　his　duty　to

show　that　morningsmiled　and　told　her　she　had　done　fine；　and　that　he　was

pleased　with　her；　Annie…Many…Ponies　did　not　smile　back　with　that　slow；　sweet；

heart…twisting　smile　which　was　at　once　her　sharpest　weapon　and　her　most

endearing　trait。



Bill　Holmes　who　had　also　had　his　sharp　word　of　warning；　and　had　been　told　very

plainly　to　cut　out　this　flirting　with　Annie　if　he　wanted　to　remain　on　Luck's

payroll；　eyed　her　strangely。　Once　he　tried　to　have　a　secret　word　with　her；　but

she　moved　away　and　would　not　look　at　him。　For　Annie…Many…Ponies；　hurt　and

bitter　as　she　felt　toward　her　beloved　Wagalexa　Conka；　hated　Bill　Holmes

fourfold　for　being　the　cause　of　her　humiliation。　That　she　did　not　also　hate

Ramon　Chavez　as　being　equally　guilty　with　Bill　Holmes；　went　far　toward　proving

how　strong　a　hold　he　had　gained　upon　her　heart。







CHAPTER　VI。　〃I　GO　WHERE　WAGALEXA　CONKA　SAY〃　



That　afternoon　Ramon　joined　them；　suave　as　ever　and　seeming　very　much　at　peace

with　the　world　and　his　fellow…beings。　He　watched　the　new　leading　woman　make　a

perilous　ride　down　a　steep；　rocky　point　and　dash　up　to　camera　and　on　past　it

where　she　set　her　horse　back　upon；　its　haunches　with　a　fine　disregard　for　her

bones　and　a　still　finer　instinct　for　putting　just　the　right　dash　of　the

spectacular　into　her　work　without　overdoing　it。



〃That　senora；　she's　all　right；　you　bet！〃　he　praised　the　feat　to　those　who

stood　near　him；　〃me；　I　not　be　stuck　on　ron　my　caballo　down　that　place。　You　bet

she's　fine　rider。　My　sombrero；　he's　come　off　to　that　lady！〃



Jean；　hearing；　glanced　at　him　with　that　little　quirk　of　the　lips　which　was　the

beginning　of　a　smile；　and　rode　off　to　join　her　father　and　Lite　Avery。　〃He　made

that　sound　terribly　sincere；　didn't　he？〃　she　commented。　〃It　takes　a　Mexican　to

lift　flattery　up　among　the　fine　arts。〃　Then　she　thought　no　more　about　it。



Annie…Many…Ponies　was　sitting　apart；　on　a　rock　where　her　gay　blanket　made　a

picturesque　splotch　of　color　against　the　gray　barrenness　of　the　hill　behind

her。　She；　too；　heard　what　Ramon　said；　and　she；　too；　thought　that　he　had　made

the　praise　sound　terribly　sincere。　He　had　not　spoken　to　her　at　all　after　the

first　careless　nod　of　recognition　when　he　rode　up。　And　although　her　reason　had

approved　of　his　caution；　her　sore　heart　ached　for　a　little　kindness　from　him。

She　turned　her　eyes　toward　him　now　with　a　certain　wistfulness；　but　though

Ramon　chanced　to　be　looking　toward　her　she　got　no　answering　light　in　his　eyes；

no　careful　little　signal　that　his　heart　was　yearning　for　her。　He　seemed

remote；　as　indifferent　to　her　as　were　any　of　the　others　dulled　by

accustomedness　to　her　constant　presence　among　them。　A　premonitory　chill；　as

from　some　great　sorrow　yet　before　her　in　the　future；　shook　the　heart　of　Annie…

Many…Ponies。



〃Me；　I　fine　out　how　moch　more　yoh　want　me　campa　here　for　pictures；〃　Ramon　was

saying　now　to　Luck　who　was　standing　by　Pete　Lowry；　scribbling　something　on　his

script。　〃My　brother　Tomas；　he　liking　for　us　at　ranch　now；　s'pose　yoh　finish

poco　tiempo。〃



Luck　wrote　another　line　before　he　gave　any　sign　that　he　heard。

Annie…Many…Ponies；　watching　from　under　her　drooping　lids；　saw　that　Bill　Holmes

had　edged　closer　to　Ramon；　while　he　made　pretense　of　being　much　occupied　with

his　own　affairs。



〃I　don't　need　your　camp　at　all　after　today。〃　Luck　shoved　the　script　into　his

coat　pocket　and　looked　at　his　watch。



〃This　afternoon　when　the　sun　is　just　right　I　want　to　get　one　or　two　cut…back

scenes　and　a　dissolve　out。　After　that　you　can　break　camp　any　time。　But　I　want

you；　Ramon…　…you　and　Estancio　Lopez　and　Luis　Rojas。　I'll　need　you　for　two　or

three　days　in　townwant　you　to　play　the　heavy　in　a　bank…robbery　and　street

fight。　The　makeup　is　the　same　as　when　you　worked　up　there　in　the　rocks　the

other　day。　You　three　fellows　　come　over　and　go　in　to　the　ranch　tomorrow　if　you

like。　Then　I'll　have　you　when　I　want　you。　You'll　get　five　dollars　a　day　while

you　work。〃　Having　made　himself　sufficiently　clear；　he　turned　away　to　set　and

rehearse　the　next　scene；　and　did　not　see　the　careful　glance　which　passed

between　Ramon　and　Bill　Holmes。



〃Annie；〃　Luck　said　abruptly；　swinging　toward　her；　〃can　you　come　down　off　that

point　where　Jean　Douglas　came？　You'll　have　to　ride　horseback；　remember；　and　I

don't　want　you　to　do　it　unless　you're　sure　of　yourself。　How　about　it？〃



For　the　first　time　since　breakfast　her　somber　eyes　lightened　with　a　gleam　of

interest。　She　did　not　look　at　RamonRamon　who　had　told　her　many　times　how

much　he　loved　her；　and　yet　could　praise　Jean　Douglas　for　her　riding。　Ramon　had

declared　that　he　would　not　care　to　come　riding　down　that　point　as　Jean　had


come；　very　well；　then　she　would　show　Ramon　something。



〃It　isn't　necessary；　exactly；〃　Luck　explained　further。　〃I　can　show　you　at　the

top；　looking　down　at　the　way　Jean　came；　and　then　I　can　pick　you　up　on　an

easier　trail。　But　if　you　w